Method of making platform type shoes



' May 1, 1951 J J, WALSH 2,551,075

I METHOD OF MAKING PLATFORM TYPE SHOES Filed Nov. 14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR F|G.'9 JOHN J.WALSH ATTORNEY May 1, 1951 J. J. WALSH 2,551,075

. METHOD OF MAKING PLATFORM TYPE SHOES Filed Nov. 14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B F|G.l4 FIG. I5

INVENTOR JOHN J. WALSH AT TORN EY Patented May 1, 1951 OES , John J. Walsh, St.'Louis, Mo.

Application November 14, 1947, Serial No. 785,919

possible the achievement of an accurately fitting shoe of highly attractive, novel design or appearance.

- It is also an objectof the present invention to provide a novel method of making a shoe which has the casual style and appearance of a sliplasted shoe, but nevertheless has the foot-fitting and wearing qualities of a hand-lasted shoe.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a shoe of novel design and appearance which is long-wearing and exceptionally comfortable on-the foot of the wearer.

--It' is a further object'of the present invention to provide a shoe of the open-heeled or sling type which possesses a' snug-fitting shank construction and has the finished appearancain the region of the heel, similar to slip-lasted construction.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

'In the accompanying drawings (two sheets) Fig. l is a top plan or pattern view of the midsole cover or insole, as it may be called, forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the midsole or platform forming a part of the present invention; Figure 3 is a plan view of the assembled upper; Figures 4 and 5 are plan views or so-called pattern views of the component parts of the platform cover for making a preferred form of shoe in accordance with the method of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the assembled platform cover;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper and platform cover assembled in accordance with the method of the present invention;

4 Claims. (o1. 12-442) Figure 8 is a perspective view of the upper platview taken Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line H'-ll of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the shoe after lasting;

Figure 13 is a sectional view of the shoe taken along line I3--l3 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the shoe after application of the outer sole and heel lift;

and

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the finished shoe embodying the present invention.

In broadest outline, the method of the present invention comprises the stitching together of a plurality of suitably patterned upper parts or sections to form a combined upper and openbottomed platform cover, the upper having an open heel or sling strap in the region of the quarter. An insole is then stitched, along its heel portion only, to the heel portion of the platform cover, and the combined upper insole and platform cover, as a unit, is then placed on a last. A midsole or platform is then tacked upon the upwardly presented face of the insole and the margins of the platform cover pulled over for securement thereto by cementing. The heel-strip of the platform cover is provided with a scalloped flat portion which is also pulled over and cemerited down on the inside face of the platform and the shoe is finally finished by cementing, or otherwise suitably applying, an outer sole and heel lift upon the outer face of the midsole or platform and the pulled-over margins of the platform cover.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, I designates a die-cut insole or "sock-lining, as it is sometimes called, formed preferably of fairly thick, substantial leather stock, as shown in Figure 1 and 2 designates a midsole or platform formed preferably of cork or similar material and provided uiion its upwardly presented sole face with a heelwedge 3, also formed preferably of cork or other similar material, as shown in Figure 2.

The upper A is formed of a toe strip 4, an a heel strip 5, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively, and which are endwise stitched together to form a continuous. or annular platform cover 6, as shown in Figure 6. The heel strip 5 is provided along the mid-portions offijts lower margin with a scalloped flap 1 and stretch slits 8, 9, and along its upper margin withla long narrow flap Ill. The toe strip 4 is substantially uniform in width throughout its length, being integrally provided along the mid-portion of its upper margin with a somewhat triangularly shaped toe flap II and being provided at suitable points along its margins with match-marks I2, I3,.I4, I5, I6, I'I, I8, and I9, as shown in Figure 4.

Also forming component parts of the upper A are two upper sections 20, 2I, the foreparts of which are exact opposites or mirror images, so to speak. The upper section 2| is provided with a heel strap section 22 adapted for encircling the heel of the wearer in the finished shoe and being engaged in a buckle 23 secured upon a buckle receiving extension 24 formed on the other upper section 20, as will presently be seen. It should be noted that the upper sections 20, 2|, are curved outwardly in the region of their toe portions, as at 0, between matchmarks 25, 26, to accommodate the toe flap II, and are provided along their bottom margins with narrow inseam flaps 21, the latter being marked for guidance in stitching with line-marks 28 and-match-marks 29, The upper section is preferably, though not necessarily, provided with a guide-mark 3G for indicating the position of the buckle 23.

The upper sections 20, 2|, are stitched together by an outseam along the margins of the instep sections down to the marks so as to present a smooth interior against the instep of the wearer's foot. The margins of the toe flaps II are then outseamed to the curved forward margins of the upper sections 20, 2|, the match-marks I4, I5, being aligned with the match-marks 25, 26, and the match marks, It, I'I, being aligned with the forward margins of the inseam flaps 21. The outseaming is discontinued and the toe strip 4 is brought over upon the outer face of the inseam flaps 21 and stitched fiatwise thereupon, as shown in Figure '7, and such stitching continued to join the forward portions of the heel strip 5 to the rearward portion of the inseam flaps 21 in the formation of the upper A. Finally, the heel strip 5 is turned upwardly and wrong side out and outseamed around its rear portion to the rear portion of the insole or sock-lining. I, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The assembled upper A and insole I are then placed on the last B, as shown in Figure 10, and the insole or sock-lining I is smoothed out upon the sole face of the last B. A coating of cement is then applied to the exposed face of the insole I and the midsole or platform 2, together with its associated heel-wedge 3, set firmly in place upon such cement-coated face of the insole I, the rear portion of the heel strip 5 being, at this point in the process, turned out, as. shown in Figures 10 and 11. The margins of the platform cover are thereupon pulled over the platform 2 and cemented down, as shown in Figures 12 and l3. Finally, an outer sole 3I is cemented upon the platform 2, and a heel-lift 32 may, if desired, be suitably tacked in place upon the outer sole 3I, all as shown in Figure 14, to form the completed shoe S, as shown in Figure 15, upon removal from the last '3. It should be noted that the seam between the platform cover 6 and the insole I will hold the shank of the shoe snugly into conformity with the shank-curve of the platform 2 and, furthermore, the inturned seam, as at as, which results" when the heel strip 5 is pulled down over the rear portion of the platform, will impart a neatly finished appearance to the finished shoe S.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the shoe and in the method of making the same may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making a shoe which comprises providing a platform, providing an annular platform cover, providing an upper of the open-heel type, stitching the upper to the platform cover, providing a sock-lining, stitching the heel portion of the sock-lining to the free upwardly presented margins of the platform cover While allowing the remainder of the sock-lining to remain unsecured, slipping a last into the rear quarter and shank portion of the upper, applying the platform, pulling over and cementing down the forward portions of the platform cover, then pulling over and cementing down the rear portions of the platform cover, and applying an outer sole to the outer face of the platform.

2. The method of making a shoe which comprises providing a platform, providing an annular platform cover comprising heel and toe portions, providing an upper of the open-heel type, stitching the upper to the platform, cover, providing a sock-lining, turning the heel portion of the platform cover upwardly to present its wrong side outwardly and outseaming the central portion of its normal upper margin to the rear portion of the sock-lining while allowing the remainder of the sock-liningto remain unsecured, returning the heel portion of the platform cover to its downward position, coating'the underface of the sock-lining with cement, applying the platform to the cement-coated face of the socklining, pulling over and cementing down the forward portions of the platform cover, then pulling over and cementing down the heel portions of the platform cover, and applying an outer sole to the outer face of the platform.

3. The method of making a shoe which comprises providing a platform, providing an annular platform cover comprising heel and toe portions, providing an upper of the open-heel type, stitching the upper to the platform cover, providing a sock-lining, turning the heel portion of the platform cover upwardly, securing the sock-lining to the platform cover by outseaming its rear portion to the heel portion of said cover while allowing the shank and toe portions of the sock-lining to remain unsecured, returning the heel portion of the platform cover to its downward position, placing the rear quarter and shank portions of the upper on a last, coating the underfa'ce of the sock-lining with cement, applying the platform to the cement-coated face of the -sock-lining, manually pulling over and cementing down the forward portions of the platform cover, then pulling over and cementing down the heel portions of the platform cover, and applying an outer sole to the outer face of the platform.

4. The method of making a shoe which 'comprises providing a platform, providing a heel covering strip having an elongated flap on its upper margin, providing a toe covering strip, providing an upper of the open heel type, stitching the upper to the toe covering strip and to the forward portions of the heel covering strip, providing a sock-lining, turning the rear portion of the heel covering strip upwardly and outseaming it to the elongated flap of the sock-lining While allowing the shank and toe portions of the sock-lining to remain unsecured, returning the heel portion of the platform cover to its downward position thereby obscuring the outseaming and presenting a smooth appearance, coating the under face of the sock lining with cement; ap-

; plying the platform to the cement coated face of the sock-lining, manually pulling over and cementing down the forward portions of the platform cover, then pulling over and cementing 10 down the heel portions of the platform cover, and

applying an outer sole to the outer face of the platform.

JOHN J. WALSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,407,224 Chandler Sept. 10, 1946 2,422,947 Calderazzo June 24, 1947 2,425,906 Waldman Aug. 19, 1947 2,438,821 Quinn Mar. 30, 1948 2,464,355 Starner Mar. 15, 1949 

